Uttarakhand avalanche: 50 BRO workers rescued, 4 dead, search continues for missing

HORNBILL TV

Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman on Sunday said that the ongoing rescue operation has made significant progress as weather conditions remain favorable.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], March 2 (HBTV): Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman on Sunday said that the ongoing rescue operation has made significant progress as weather conditions remain favorable.

‘The weather has supported us. A total of 54 BRO workers were reported missing. Out of them, 50 were rescued, while four lost their lives. Four people are still unaccounted for, and search operations are underway. We remain hopeful of finding them soon,’ he said.

Rescue teams continue efforts on the ground, focusing on locating the remaining missing individuals.

Earlier today, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Disaster Control Room at IT Park, Dehradun, for the second consecutive day to review the ongoing rescue operation for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers in Mana, Chamoli.

On Saturday, the Uttarakhand government released a detailed report on the avalanche that struck near the BRO camp at Mana Gate in Joshimath on February 28. Rescue and relief operations are continuing on a war footing under the direction of Chief Minister Dhami.

Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari provided an update on the situation, stating, ‘Yesterday, doctors confirmed four deaths. Earlier, the total number was 55, but now we have information that one of the workers was on unauthorized leave and is home. The total number has reduced to 54, out of which four people are still missing.’

Following the avalanche, the state government deployed extensive aerial rescue operations, including one MI-17 helicopter, three Cheetah helicopters, two Uttarakhand government helicopters, and an AIIMS Rishikesh air ambulance for evacuations. The Chief Minister also directed authorities to deploy additional helicopters if needed.

Rescued individuals were airlifted to Joshimath and received treatment at the Army Hospital. Nearly 200 personnel from disaster management forces, including the Army, ITBP, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, district administration, police, health department, and fire services, are engaged in relief efforts.

(ANI)